Tufting device



No. 617,248. Patented 1an. 3, |1899. T. J. GURMAN, F. B E'BTSCH & F. AAMODT. TUFTING DEVICE.

(Application led Sept. 13, 1898.)

(No Windel.)

` /N VENTO/95 Y F1o/ward' Gorman rrr THOMAS J. GORMAN, FRANK BERTSCI'I, AND FRANCIS AAMODT, OF

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

TUFTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent N. 617,248, dated January 3, 1899.

Application filed September 13. 1898. Serial No. 690.862. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS J. GoRMAN, FRANK BERrscH, and FRANCIS AAMODT, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tufting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tufting devices for upholsterers uses; and the general object of the invention is to provide a device by means of which the cloth constituting the outer covering of a couch, chair, or other piece of upholstered furniture may have formed in it a number of cells into which the hair, cotton, tow, or other material forming the filling may be placed and in which cells said material will be retained, so that the cloth covering may be handled and may finally be placed upon the couch or other article to which it is to be secured.

The invention consists generally in the constructions and combinations hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication, Figure l is a perspective view of the lower frame containing a series of molds. Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview of the upper frame with a series of strips of fabric or other suitable material secured thereto. Fig. 3 is a detail showing the manner of securing the outer covering to the flexible strips, so as to form cells or pockets in the covering to receive the filling material. Fig. 4 is a detailed section illustrating the manner of using the tufting device and showing a portion of the covering in place thereon and in position to have the filling material placed in the cells or pockets and a portion of said cells or pockets being shown partly filled with material and a portion of them being shown wholly lled with material. Fig. 5 is a detail section showing a portion of the covering after it is removed from the tufting device and when it is ready for application to a couch or other article of furniture. Fig. 6 is a detail showing a portion of the top of the couch with a covering formed with our device applied thereto.

It has been customary prior to our invention to upholster couches and other articles of furniture by securing one edge of the covering in position and then placing the filling material in under the covering and by working it by hand into pads or tufts and securing it by sewing through the covering and through the material forming the first or lower covering of the couch or other article. It has also in some instances been customary to form a series of pads from the iilling material, and these pads are then laid in rowsupon the couch or other article, and the covering has then been put in position thereover. By our invention we provide a device by which. a series of cells or pockets may be formed in the covering for the couch or other article and into which cells the cotton, hair, tow, moss, or other filling material may be placed and in which it will be retained, so that the covering, with this filling material in its cells or pockets, may be handled, and it may, if desired, be put away in stock or be piled up in the factory until it is desired to use the same for covering a couch or other article of furniture, and which may then be placed upon the couch or other article of furniture and be secured in position thereon, thereby completing the operation of supplying the couch or .other article with tufted covering.

In the drawings, 2 represents the lower or main frame, which is provided with a series of longitudinal and transverse strips 3, dividing the space' inclosed by said frame into a series of rectangular cells or molds open at top and bottom, as shown in detail in Fig. 4. The strips 3 may be secured in position by any suitable means. Ve prefer, however, to provide the frame 2 with the cross slats or bars 4, (see Fig. 4,) and to make the strips 3 so as to form the series of open cells or molds and to support these strips within the frame 2 by means of the standards 5,having threaded lower ends which pass through the cross-bars 4, and which are adj ustably secured to said members by means of the nuts 6. We do not, however, limit ourselves to any particular means for securing the strips 3 within the frame 2, as it is evident that any suitable method of securing said strips in position in said frame may be employed without departing from our invention.

Ve also provide a frame '7, preferably of IOO rectangular form and of the same size as the frame 2, and this frame is provided With a series of pins 8, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) which form means for attaching to said frame a series of longitudinal and a series of transverse flexible strips 9. We ordinarily use strips of cotton fabric for this purpose; but the strips may be formed of any suitable material. While We have shown pins for securing the fabric made up of the strips 9 in position upon the frame 7, We do not Wish to be limited thereto, as buckles, clasps, clips, or any suitable devices by which the strips of flexible material may be secured in position may be substituted for the pins 8. After the flexible strips 9 are secured to the frame 7 We place over said strips the fabric 10, designed to constitute the outer covering of the couch or other upholstered article. This faloric or covering 10 is sewed or otherwise suitably secured to the strips 9 at each intersection thereof. Thereby the fabric is formed into a series of cells or pockets, each corresponding to one of the rectangular spaces made by the crossing of the flexible strips 9. The frame 7, With the strips 9 and covering 10, is then turned over and placed on top of the frame 2 with the edges of the longitudinal and transverse strips 3 directly under the exible strips 9, Fig. 2. It Will thus be seen that by this means a series of cells or pockets are formed in the covering 10 and that the edges of the strips 9 project laterally on all four sides over the edges of said cells. (See, for instance, the right-hand cell in Fig. 4.) While the covering is thus held,- the material forming the filling for the cells ma be packed into said cells, as illustrated in iig. 4 of the drawings.

We have here shown a filling consisting of a layer of cotton, Which is first placed in the cell, then a layer of hair, and nally a layer of toW, moss, or other cheaper material. It Will be noted that when this lling material has been packed into the cells it extends under the free edges of the flexible strips 9, as indicated at the left hand in Fig. 4. After all of the cells or pockets have been supplied with the filling material the frame 7 may be removed from the frame 2 and the strips 9 may be removed from the pins S. The cover will noW be complete and ready for application to a couch, chair, or other article and may be immediately applied thereto, or the filled covering may be laid away and any number of them may be piled up in the factory or kept until such time as it is desired to use them. lAs illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, these coverings may be turned over Without the filling material dropping out of the cells, as it is held therein by the overlapping strips 9. When it is desired to apply the covering to a couch or other article, it may be placed directly thereon, as illustrated in Fig. 6, and may be secured by stitches 12 and buttons 13, said buttons being arranged at the four corners of the cells and the stitches passing through the covering 10, through the strips 9, and through the material 13, forming the under or rst covering for the couch or other article. The covering 13 will ordinarily rest upon suitable A springs 14 in usual manner.

The advantages of our invention are particularly the ease and rapidity With Which the Work of tufting may be done and the evenness and regularity of the tufts When they are formed, thereby greatly enhancing the appearance of the upholstered article. As the cells formed in the outer fabric or covering are all of the same size, and as the same amount of material may be placed in each cell, it will follow that when the article to Which this covering is applied is finished the tufts Willall be of the same size and have the same appearance. By means of ourinvention the Work of upholstering couches and other articles is also greatly lessened and unskilled labor may be employed for performing all of the operations of making the tufted covering and securing it in position.

The flexible strips 9 may be of any desired Width so long as they leave access to the cell or pocket, so as to permit the llihg material to be packed therein through the space bctWeen the edges of the strips. The Wider the strips are the more they Will overlap the fill ing material after it is placed in the cells and the more firmly such material Will be held in position.

We claim as our invention;

1. In a tuft-forming device, the combina= tion,with a frame divided into a series of cells or molds, of a series of longitudinal and transverse flexible strips, Wider than the Walls of said cells, and means for securing said strips in line with the division of said frame, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a device of the class described, the' combination with a cellular frame of a perforated fabric, means for the application of said fabric to said frame and the perfora# tions of said fabric being coincident With and smaller than the cells of said frame,whereby the stuffing when placed in the cells of said frame is retained by the overlapping edges of the fabric, substantially as described.

3. In a tuft-forming device, the combina; tion of a lower frame provided with a series of strips arranged to partition said frame into cells or molds, of an upper frame provided with devices adapted to detachably secure flexible strips across said upper frame, for the purpose set forth.

4. In a tutt-forming device, the combination, With a main frame and means dividing the same into a series of cells or molds, of means for supporting in said cells or molds a covering for a couch or other article, and means for holding in line With the partitions of said frame a series of flexible strips that are connected to said covering, substantially as described.

Ido

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands this 9th dayof September, 1898.

THOMAS J. GORMAN.

FRANK BERTSCH.

5. n a Luft-forming device, the combina,- tion with a. main frame divided into :t series of cells or molds, of an upper frame having pins projecting at intervals, the said pins being placed in the upper frame in number and FRANCIS AAMODT. position corresponding to the ends of the di- In presence ofvisions of the lower frame, substantially as A. C. PAUL,

described. RICHARD PAUL. 

